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Following is a speech (English only) by the Financial Secretary, Mr Donald Tsang, at the Hong Kong Awards for Services Presentation Ceremony tonight (Tuesday):

Mr Lo, distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen,

I am very pleased to be here this evening to present the Hong Kong Awards for Services.

As Chairman of the Central Judging Panel for the second year running, I have had the opportunity of seeing for myself once again the very high standards in the provision of services in Hong Kong and the impressive achievements of some of our service providers. Although still in its infancy, the Awards scheme has no doubt become an effective means of encouraging the pursuit of excellence in the services sector.

That quality is the key to competitiveness is conventional wisdom. Its rightness has once again been proven in these difficult economic times. Firms that are able to deliver quality services will stand a better chance of surviving and indeed thriving. This is an important lesson for us all even if the learning process is uncomfortable for some. The more attention we pay to raising quality, the better we will weather the storm and prepare ourselves to ride it out.

Let me share a thought with you: stormy days are occasions a keen learner would not want to miss. And Hong Kong has no lack of good learners after all the storms it has gone through in the past. Every time we emerged tougher, wiser and with more resilience. This may be a very large storm -- so what, we will have gained all the more strength when it is over. The important thing is we must not lose heart now. The biggest tragedy in life is losing heart in difficult times.

Bad weather comes and goes. The horizon is always out there and we must not lose sight of it. In his Policy Address, the Chief Executive has set out our vision to make Hong Kong the most cosmopolitan city in Asia, as good as New York in America and London in Europe. A sophisticated business sector that delivers superb services is an integral part of that vision. The Government is committed to working together with the community to realize our full potential. The Awards scheme is another example of such efforts. My tribute goes to the five organizers who pioneered this worthy cause, as well as the sponsors in making a financial contribution.

To the winners of the Awards, I extend my warmest congratulations. You have all done a great job, and set an example for others to follow. The applause is rightly yours. Thank you.

End/Tuesday, November 24, 1998

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